On October 11 the 4th Polish Open Category Championships were held in Legnica. Tournament was organised in Hotel Qubus and gathered 61 fighters from Poland, Czech and Germany. 
     Organiser - Sensei Andrzej Kaczkowski provided the high speed internet connection, thanks to which to online transmision was possible even though the webmaster is currently in Tokyo. There was approximately 400 entries on Polish Kyokushin website: www.kyokushin.org.pl during the whole day.
     Main Judge was Shihan Andre Drewniak.

 results & photos 

      On 27th of October one of the biggest sumo tournaments took place in Tokyo.
     All current sumo stars participated in this event, which was held in the Ryogoku Kokugikan sports hall - the same one, in which The First World Open Karate Tournament was organised by  Sosai Masutatsu Oyama in year 1975.

Total of 10 000 spectators gathered in the hall.

     As a part of the event, so called Danpatsushiki  - traditional hair cutting ceremony of finishing career sumo master - Higonoumi was held. As the only representative of karate art - Kancho Shokei Matsui was invited to take part in this prestigeous moment - as one of the most valuable person for japanese Budo. 
     Tournament was won by the young sumo-ka - Asashoryu, who suprised everybody and defeated much bigger then himself - Yokozuna Musashimaru. 

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     In Tokyo's Mizuho, during the summer festival organised each year as a part of O-matsuri, kyokushin karate demonstration took place. Approximately 40 Nishitama Dojo's karateka, which is a direct branch of Honbu Dojo, presented basic techniques kihon, forms kata, fight kumite and tameshiwari - breaking techniques. 
     After demonstration of boards, roof tiles and hollow blocks breaking, sensei Tsuyoshi Iwakawa presented breaking of baseball bats with the shin. Following - sensei Masao Nagatomi broke four ice blocks using hand technique and finally as a main point of the show - dojo's main instructor sensei Ryu Narushima presented his favourite leg technique  jodan-mawashi-geri breaking ice blocks with his dynamic kick. As a guest participant of this demonstartion, Polish instructor - sensei Andrzej Zacharski, who has been training in Japan since the beginning of the year, presented kata Sushiho.
     The show was appreciated with big applause. Articles and photos appeared in the local newspapers.  

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      On July 24 - 27 the Summer Camp Benasque 2003 was held in Spain. Chief instructor was shihan Antonio Pinero 7 dan.

     The annual East European Summer School was held in Cracow, Poland on the week of July 23-27. Approximately 180 participants took part in the event that is conducted annually by Shihan Andre Drewniak and invited Instructors from around the world. Apart from Poland, the quest participants were from: Czech, Slovakia, Belarus and Germany.
     For the second year in a row Shihan Katsuhito Gorai and Sensei Ryu Narushima of IKO Honbu were guest Instructors for this years event that covered Kihon, Ido Geiko, Kata and Kumite strategy for all levels. On the last day of the camp there was a promotion test and over 70 students challenged for their new grade. The event finished with a Sayonara party where students performed music and comedic skits to entertain the Instructors.
     All the instructors said that each year they see a big progress in the technical level amongst the participating karateka.
     " Keep your head low (modesty), eyes high (ambition), mouth shut (serenity); base yourself on filial piety and benefit others. " - words of Sosai Mas Oyama remained shihan Gorai, encouraging the students to hard training before this year's 8th World Open Category Championships.

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